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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · charge · vault · roll · can · rule · ruler · pound

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — a law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rule — government
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com